Free to print · sources checked October 4, 2026

Printable sauna and hot tub safety rules

Two one-page signs for studios, gyms, rentals and home saunas. Every rule comes from a public source, Harvard Health, the CDC or the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the sources are listed under the signs. Free to print and post.

Please read before you go in

Sauna safety

Stay in no more than 15 to 20 minutes. New to saunas? Start with 5.
Leave if you feel very hot, lightheaded, dizzy or unwell. Head for the door.
No alcohol before, during or after.
Do not use the sauna when you are ill.
Cool down gradually afterward.
Drink water afterward. Two to four glasses.
Heart condition, low blood pressure, or medicines that affect sweating? Ask your doctor first.
Wearing a fentanyl or buprenorphine pain patch? Stay out. Its label rules out saunas.

Rules and sources: tendground.com/sauna-safety-rules-sign · Free to print (CC BY 4.0) · Not medical advice

Please read before you get in

Hot tub safety

Water no hotter than 104°F (40°C).
No alcohol before or during use. Alcohol raises the risk of drowning.
Get out if you feel drowsy. Hot water can cause drowsiness, then unconsciousness.
No children under 5. Other young children only with constant adult supervision.
Pregnant? Talk to your healthcare provider first.
Shower before you get in. Do not swallow the water.
Stay out if you have diarrhea.
Wearing a fentanyl or buprenorphine pain patch? Stay out. Its label rules out hot tubs.

Rules and sources: tendground.com/sauna-safety-rules-sign · Free to print (CC BY 4.0) · Not medical advice

Where each rule comes from

Sauna sign

Stay in no more than 15 to 20 minutes.: "Stay in no more than 15–20 minutes. / Stay inside for just five minutes at first, paying close attention to any symptoms." Harvard Health, Saunas and your health · Harvard Health, Can regular sauna sessions support a healthy heart?
Leave if you feel very hot, lightheaded, dizzy or unwell.: "Leave if you feel extremely hot, lightheaded, or dizzy. / …if you feel unwell during your sauna, head for the door." Harvard Health, Can regular sauna sessions support a healthy heart? · Harvard Health, Saunas and your health
No alcohol before, during or after.: "Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair sweating and produce overheating before and after your sauna. / …alcohol consumption during sauna bathing increases the risk of hypotension, arrhythmia, and sudden death, and should be avoided." Harvard Health, Saunas and your health · Hannuksela and Ellahham, Benefits and risks of sauna bathing, American Journal of Medicine, 2001
Do not use the sauna when you are ill.: "Don't take a sauna when you are ill…" Harvard Health, Saunas and your health
Cool down gradually afterward.: "Cool down gradually afterward. / It's also a good idea to cool down gradually; don't go straight outdoors in cold weather." Harvard Health, Saunas and your health · Harvard Health, Can regular sauna sessions support a healthy heart?
Drink water afterward.: "Drink two to four glasses of cool water after each sauna." Harvard Health, Saunas and your health
Heart condition, low blood pressure, or medicines that affect sweating? Ask your doctor first.: "…be cautious using them if you have low blood pressure or certain heart conditions, including valve disease (such as aortic stenosis) or heart failure. / Contraindications to sauna bathing include unstable angina pectoris, recent myocardial infarction, and severe aortic stenosis." Harvard Health, Can regular sauna sessions support a healthy heart? · Harvard Health, Saunas and your health · Hannuksela and Ellahham, Benefits and risks of sauna bathing, American Journal of Medicine, 2001
Wearing a fentanyl or buprenorphine pain patch? Stay out.: "Fentanyl patch (Boxed warning): …application site and surrounding area to direct external heat sources, such as heating pads or electric blankets, heat or tanning lamps, sunbathing, hot baths, saunas, hot tubs, and heated water beds may increase fentanyl absorption and has resulted in fatal overdose of fentanyl. Warn patients to avoid… / Butrans (Warnings and precautions): …the BUTRANS application site and surrounding area to direct external heat sources, such as heating pads or electric blankets, heat or tanning lamps, saunas, hot tubs, and heated water beds while wearing the system because an increase in absorption of buprenorphine may occur [see Clinical Pharmacology…" FDA labels for the fentanyl and Butrans patches, in our medication heat-warning label index

Hot tub sign

Water no hotter than 104°F (40°C).: "Water temperature should not be higher than 104°F (40°C). / Keep the temperature of the water in the spa at 104 degrees Fahrenheit or below." CDC, What you can do to stay healthy in hot tubs · CPSC, CPSC issues warning for pools, spas and hot tubs
No alcohol before or during use.: "Don't drink alcohol before or during hot tub use. / The risk of drowning is significantly heightened if individuals consume alcoholic beverages while, or prior to, soaking in hot water…" CDC, What you can do to stay healthy in hot tubs · CPSC, CPSC warns of hot tub temperatures
Get out if you feel drowsy.: "…the use of hot tubs at water temperatures above the normal body temperatures can cause drowsiness which may lead to unconsciousness and subsequently result in drowning." CPSC, CPSC warns of hot tub temperatures
No children under 5.: "Don't let children less than 5 years old use hot tubs. / …keep young children away from spas or hot tubs unless there is constant adult supervision." CDC, What you can do to stay healthy in hot tubs · CPSC, CPSC issues warning for pools, spas and hot tubs
Pregnant? Talk to your healthcare provider first.: "If you are pregnant, talk to a healthcare provider before using a hot tub." CDC, What you can do to stay healthy in hot tubs
Shower before you get in. Do not swallow the water.: "Shower before you get in the water. / Don't swallow the water." CDC, What you can do to stay healthy in hot tubs
Stay out if you have diarrhea.: "Stay out of the water if sick with diarrhea." CDC, What you can do to stay healthy in hot tubs
Wearing a fentanyl or buprenorphine pain patch? Stay out.: "Fentanyl patch (Boxed warning): …application site and surrounding area to direct external heat sources, such as heating pads or electric blankets, heat or tanning lamps, sunbathing, hot baths, saunas, hot tubs, and heated water beds may increase fentanyl absorption and has resulted in fatal overdose of fentanyl. Warn patients to avoid… / Butrans (Warnings and precautions): …the BUTRANS application site and surrounding area to direct external heat sources, such as heating pads or electric blankets, heat or tanning lamps, saunas, hot tubs, and heated water beds while wearing the system because an increase in absorption of buprenorphine may occur [see Clinical Pharmacology…" FDA labels for the fentanyl and Butrans patches, in our medication heat-warning label index

Questions people ask

What are the safety rules for using a sauna?

Harvard Health's advice is to stay in no more than 15 to 20 minutes, starting with about five if you are new, to leave if you feel extremely hot, lightheaded or dizzy, to avoid alcohol before and after, to skip the sauna when you are ill, to cool down gradually and to drink two to four glasses of water afterward. People with low blood pressure or certain heart conditions should be cautious and ask a doctor first.

How hot should a hot tub be?

No hotter than 104°F (40°C), according to both the CDC and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC has described 100°F as safe for a healthy adult.

Can children use a sauna or hot tub?

The CDC says not to let children under 5 use hot tubs, and the CPSC says to keep young children away from spas and hot tubs unless an adult is supervising constantly.

Can I print and post these signs at my business or rental?

Yes. They are free to print and post under CC BY 4.0. Please keep the source line at the bottom, which points readers to the sources for each rule.

On pregnancy and saunas specifically, see our guide to sauna, cold plunge and massage in pregnancy. For medicines that change how the body handles heat, see our medication and heat checklist. If someone feels faint, our guide to what to do if you feel faint in a sauna covers it, and first-timers can read what to expect at a first sauna session.

Run a sauna or cold plunge studio? You can list your space on Tendground for free.